Changing Teacher Hiring Practices to Improve Student Outcomes

This paper is an attempt to replicate the findings of a study done by Drs. Esther Duflo, Pascaline Dupas, and Michael Kremer published in 2007. The primary question of this study is to determine if, by hiring low-cost local contract teachers, Kenyan school districts can improve student achievement and counteract classroom overcrowding that has been an issue since the removal of school fees in the country. I am also testing an additional hypothesis, whether students assigned to the contract teacher are less likely to drop out. I find, along with the previous study, that the hiring of a local contract teacher improves student learning for students assigned to the extra teacher by a statistically significant amount. Additionally, the students assigned to the contract teacher have a 3.7% lower attrition rate

Appalling Aftermath : The idealization of sympathy in battle paintings of the Great Siege of Gibraltar

The failed siege attempt by French and Spanish forces on the British stronghold at Gibraltar from 1779 to 1783 provided several episodes of national commemoration for the defenders. This thesis focuses on three such paintings which take place at the end of their respective battles. In the first chapter, Gibraltar relieved by Sir George Rodney, 1780 by Dominic Serres idealizes victorious British might personified by the commander George Rodney. It serves to assure the possibility of British victory under competent command at a moment during the uncertain time of war. The second chapter focuses on John Singleton Copley’s Destruction of the Floating Batteries at Gibraltar, a highly celebrated event. Rather than showcase the garrisons’ victory, Copley focuses on the widespread enemy suffering resulting from conflict. Likewise, the third chapter highlights John Trumbull’s Sortie Made by the Garrison at Gibraltar which heroizes a gesture of aid to a small group of enemy combatants in the aftermath of conflict. The thesis argues that the latter two paintings constitute an idealization of tender action resulting from sympathy. This behavior subverts the common embellishment of active command in battle paintings exemplified in chapter one

The impact of a mentoring/financial incentive program on at-risk high school students

This mixed methods study describes some outcomes of Champions of Wayne, a privately funded mentoring/incentive program at an impoverished high school near Detroit. Over 500 students enroll in the program annually. The program involves providing high school students who choose to participate both adult mentoring and a $200 incentive to improve one\u27s grades each semester. The quantitative component of this study analyzes GPA data, while a multiple case study of six participants explores mentoring relationships and experiences. In a comparison of the GPA of participants versus non-participants, program participants significantly improve their grades when compared to those student who do not participate in the program. The study revealed that though students initially enroll because of the$200 incentive, they describe the achievement and mentoring to be most influential in the end. A trusting relationship with an educationally successful adult has potential to make a particularly positive impact on an at-risk student from a family with little (or no) educational tradition. The study concludes with recommendations for school leaders interested in implementing a similar program, as well as a speculative discussion of how the program may have a ripple effect on other teacher-student relationships and the overall culture of the school

Lay and Expert Knowledge in a Complex Society: The AFS Teagle Foundation Project

The Teagle FoundationHow Do You Know What You Know? 2-3, Jay Mechling; Lay and Expert Knowledge in the Community College 4-5, Sean Galvin; Teaching to Live with Moving Horizons of Knowledge: Folklore Studies and New Social Problems 6-7, Jason Baird Jackson; Confronting Alternative Realities 8-9, Howard Sacks; Knowledge Gaps, Lay Experts and Feedback Loops 10-11, Sabina Magliocco; Fostering Critical Engagement through Experiential Learning 12-13, Danille Elise Christensen; Documenting Community Knowledges in Houston 14-15, Carl Lindahl; The knowledge gap as it relates to the concept of expert and lay knowledge 16-17, Tom Mould; What can student vets teach the teachers? An observer's perspective 18-19, Dorothy Noye

A qualitative study of mothers’ perceptions of weaning and the use of commercial infant food in the United Kingdom

Background: Commercially produced infant food has a different taste profile and nutritional content to homemade baby food and its consumption is now very widespread. This change in early food experience may lead to a reduced dietary variety and a decreased microbial load exposure.Objective: The purpose of this study was to gain insight into parental perceptions of complementary feeding, specifically opinions of commercially produced baby food, using qualitative research methods. Methods: Four focus group discussions took place (n = 24), with mothers of infants aged 4-7 months. Half of participants were first time mothers and a third had experience weaning infants with symptoms of cows' milk allergy. Participants were prompted with questions about complementary feeding and shown several different products to stimulate discussion. Results: Thematic analysis of focus groups indicated that three distinctive groups of mothers exist;

Review of 'The Faroe Islands: Interpretations of History' (Wylie)

Book Review

Review of 'Scandinavian Mythology: An Annotated Bibliography' (Lindow); and 'Scandinavian Folk Belief and Legend' (Kvideland and Sehmsdorf)

Book Review